The 2012 Holiday Season was a very busy time for events and celebrations. Here is a review of some of the notable events we were a part of during that time.
BizXchange Holiday Showcase
BizXchange had their annual Holiday Showcase and Party at the Pacific Market Center. BizXchange is a business to business barter network. We've been involved with them since 2004. The Holiday Showcase is an opportunity for the participating businesses to show off their products and services to other members of the network. It is also a celebratory and festive atmosphere to get into the holiday spirit. Here is my jazz trio that performed for this event. This is a holiday song classic Winter Wonderland. Ti's the season!
Beacon Plumbing Holiday Cruise Party
I got a call from Bill Cahill the owner of Beacon Plumbing on a Friday evening just before I was to head out to my Jazz in The Georgian gig. He asked me if I was available to play on a party of his on a cruise ship out of Lake Union for Sunday, just a couple nights away. Talk about last minute! Well, we happened to be available fortunately. I thought it was going to be on one of the cruise lines like Waterways or Argosy. But, it turned out to be Bill's yacht. It was a holiday party, but there was a deeper purpose. The guests for this cruise party were the children and family of slain local police officers. As somber as that sounds, it was definitely not the case. It was a very joyful and festive occasion. Bill brought my jazz trio, a wonderful Santa, and terrific catered food by O'Asian Kitchen. The yacht went out and joined the procession of ships that were a part of the Argosy Christmas Ship Festival. That was a really neat experience to be in the procession especially when the lead boat the Royal Argosy got close to shore and broadcast a live choir concert.
Our role was to provide live jazz entertainment. Bill is a trumpet player and big jazz fan. My jazz quintet actually played for one of his holiday parties years ago. Bill remembered us and I was thrilled to get the call from him. Santa was along for the whole ride and made sure that everyone sat on his lap and got a picture taken . He was a great Santa! Here's Santa with my jazz trio: pianist John Hansen, tenor saxophonist Brian Kent, and myself.
You really can't say enough about the immense heart of Bill Cahill. He put out all the stops and went all out in providing his yacht, food, entertainment, and the good will towards the children and families who have gone through unimaginable trauma of losing a parent while serving in the line of duty. Bill Cahill is a big supporter of the law enforcement community and he expressed that support in a most gracious and selfless way. He really exemplified the true spirit of the holidays. Thank you, Bill!
New Year's Eve 2012 in The Georgian
We closed out the year in a big way at The Georgian inside The Fairmont Olympic Hotel on December 31. Overall, it has been a very great year of playing at The Georgian. The hotel had one of its best years ever in terms of business. I have had the privilege of being able to play at the finest dining room in Seattle. I'm not just saying that. The Georgian room is something to be experienced and is a unique room in the Pacific Northwest as is the landmark Olympic Hotel. Executive Chef Gavin creates incredible food that makes it a fantastic dining experience in this Triple A, Four-Diamond Restaurant.
Because of the popularity and demand from last year's New Year's Eve, there were two dinner seatings this year. The first dinner was from 5pm-8pm. My jazz trio consisting of Tony Rondolone on saxophone/flute, Ryan Burns on keys, and myself on bass played during this time. The Gala Dinner followed at 9pm-1am. After the first dinner was cleared we brought in vocalist Kelly Eisenhour and drummer Brian Kirk to join the rest of the band for the main act and the big countdown to 2013. We had the same personnel from last year. This band is a terrific veteran group of professional musicians that have about 150 years of experience between everyone.
Everything went well this night. There were no glitches on any part of the evening. The Georgian staff flawlessly executed their roles. At one point Georgian Manager Andy Hata told us to take an early break because the guests were on the dance floor and needed to focus on eating so the servers could bring out the courses in time. I think that's about as good a compliment a band can get when told to stop playing because the folks are dancing too much. People partied, danced, and had a great send off of 2012 into 2013.
Here are a couple clips from the evening.
Stella By Starlight
Misty
All in all this was a great way to end an outstanding year. We are looking forward to many events and good times to be a part of.
Happy New Year to all!
Please visit our YouTube channel to see and hear more highlights of Jazz in The Georgian and Smooth Groove Productions special events.
Jazz in The Georgian every Friday and Saturday nights, 6pm-10pm at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street, Seattle, WA 98101, 206-621-7889.
No comments:
Post a Comment